QUEENS, N.Y. — Firefighters from Chester County and the vicinity Saturday helped New Yorkers dig out from the damage of Hurricane Sandy.

About 40 firefighters and volunteers from Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties traveled north to aid members of the Fire Department of New York and their families deal with the devastating results of heavy rain, wind and tidal surge.

Jay Abel, a former lieutenant with the Coatesville Fire Department, said crews of local firefighters have headed to New York every weekend since the storm hit.

The volunteers coordinate their work with Friends of Firefighters, an organization formed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to provide aid for Fire Department of New York firefighters and their families, salvaging whatever possible and gutting homes severely damaged by flood waters.

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So far the volunteers have provided aid to residents of at least 25 homes in New York City and donated thousands of dollars worth of supplies since the storm hit.

Volunteers on Saturday loaded fire service vehicles with essential supplies such as food, water, clothing and hygienic items that were donated by the Radnor Fire Company. East Whiteland Fire Company also donated $1,000 in Home Depot gift cards.

Abel, who organized the trips, said the damage from the storm was awesome, but so has been the response from local firefighters and other volunteers.

“It’s overwhelming to see you all here,” Abel said early Saturday morning as firefighters from nine area fire companies staged at the Lionville Fire Company before heading to New York City’s Breezy Point, Rockaway and Staten Island sections.

Many homes in Staten Island, Breezy Point and the Rockaways were badly damaged or outright destroyed when Hurricane Sandy struck at high tide on Oct. 29. A wall of seawater surged across the thin coastal peninsula, flooding homes and forcing city firefighters to choose between rescuing stranded civilians and battling a fire that broke out in Breezy Point during the peak of the storm.

About 100 homes were destroyed when firefighters were told to let the fire burn and focus instead on rescuing residents who were struggling to evacuate through four to five feet of floodwater. Weeks later the area looked more like a war zone than what was formerly a picturesque beach town. Little was left besides cinder block foundations and heaps of twisted and charred metal.

Thousands of people remain without power or heat in large sections of New York and New Jersey, and many more have still not been allowed to return home. Those who have returned found their homes flooded or worse, as many houses were lifted off their foundations by the powerful storm surge.

Stacks of debris were piled along Breezy Point’s small footpaths, making the neighborhood seem like a maze as many lanes remain impassable. Volunteers descended on the damaged homes, ripping up floorboards, tearing down drywall and pumping flooded basements as grateful homeowners looked on.

“I can’t believe this,” said Maureen McQue as she watched volunteers work inside her badly damaged Breezy Point home. “They aren’t even New Yorkers!”

McQue repaid many of the volunteers with a hearty hug as they walked in and out of the house carrying tools and supplies.

Richard and Barbara Rempe, who have lived in Breezy Point for over half a century, had two properties flooded in the storm and lost both of their vehicles. The elderly couple, both sporting festive holiday sweaters, spent Saturday clearing what they could from the first floor of their home.

“It didn’t seem like much of a storm, but when the water came in it came in so fast,” said Barbara Rempe, who has family in Kennett Square.

Richard Rempe, a retired chiropractor, did not allow himself to appear discouraged while friends worked to clear debris from the home he and his wife had built for retirement.

“I’m alive,” he said. “I made it through this one and I’ll probably make it through a few more.”

John Nolan, a lieutenant with the New York fire department, thanked the volunteers shortly before they left New York and headed back home. He also emphasized the storm’s effect on New York City firefighters.

“This doesn’t go unnoticed. When this is all over, if we can repay you in any way, we will repay you. We won’t ever forget this,” Nolan said. “These are our own here. There are 700 guys without houses on this island. There are 156 guys that are displaced from their homes from one division alone. This is just one area, and we’re trying to impact it as much as we can. These are our own guys that are down here that are hurting the most.”

“You’ve helped us in ways that you may not even imagine. Our families are not comfortable receiving help, but from the brothers and sisters it’s alright, because they know they can turn around and be there for you too,” Carbone said.

As the volunteers packed up and headed home Saturday, many were already making plans for their next trip to the area’s hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy.

Members of the Broomall, Coatesville, East Brandywine, East Whiteland, Honey Brook, Limerick, Minquas, Phoenixville, and West Bradford fire companies, and the Witmer Public Safety Group, participated in Saturday’s trip.

Those who wish to donate to Friends of Firefighters can do so at www.friendsoffirefighters.org